BRAVERY ANALYSED

by Dr COLINE COVINGTON

In the midst of atrocities, there is the silent presence of the brave individuals who act and stand apart from the crowd, who risk their own lives by rescuing others and, in other ways, by voicing their dissent. The actions of these exceptional individuals raise questions as to why they were able to do what they did and why other people don’t. If we look closer at the histories of these individuals, what we discover is that they may not be as exceptional as we think and that bravery takes different forms in different contexts. Through the use of clinical material and recorded interviews, this talk explores the unconscious dynamics that determine acts of bravery.